A Diamond in the Rough
by Tovaras
Summary: Duo's story and views on how something as simple as a rock and it's value can be compared to a human being.


**A Diamond in the Rough**

Author: Dragongirl85

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sorry to say it, but I don't... If I did, Relena would be killed a long time ago and the Gundam Boys would be extremely happy (not because Relena was dead. Well, Heero would...) I'm making no money for writing this. Don't sue, you won't get much anyway because I am a poor student. I have nothing to offer in my pockets. Hey, wait…. POCKET LINT!!!

Rating: M

Notes: Just a little something I wanted to do after watching Aladdin. No, it has absolutely nothing to do with Aladdin, I just started pondering on the expression "A diamond in the rough" and just how WELL the title fits a certain Duo Maxwell. Anyway, this is what I came up with. Enjoy!

Warnings: Set after EW, Duo's POV, Get-together, slightly OOC Heero, Romantic/drama movies as guidelines

Archive: Sure, but please ask first.

xoxoxoxox

What genius was it that decided that diamonds are so damn valuable?

What person decided that those white-ish lumps that we find in the mountains or in the ground should be the most expensive thing on the damn planet and colonies?

What is it about that carbon-based thing that makes women love them so damn much?

I mean, it's a damn rock. It's a rock that's been created from coal and heat and just happens to be shiny, and if you happen to cut it and stuff it in a ring or whatever, then it looks real fancy. A diamond in the rough isn't that good looking and I am sure that women wouldn't go bananas over it. Looks like a slightly matt piece of glass if you ask me.

It's a rock.

A shiny rock, but a rock all the same.

Sure, the value of the diamond is, because of HOW it's made, a little more important to me. It's strong, one of the hardest substances on earth and I just love the glass cutter I have with a diamond coating. It gets me out of many tricky situations when I'm on duty.

But besides that, Diamonds, or other gems have no real importance to me, though I am slightly fascinated by their meaning.

So why am I suddenly taking up the subject of diamonds and rocks when it's obvious that I don't really care about the value of one of the most rare things in the world today?

Well, it all started with this pet name…

xoxoxoxoxoxo

"He called you what?"

Quatre chuckled and blushed a little while playing with the pen on his desk. "He called me his diamond."

I couldn't help but snort on my spot on Quatre's desk and stole the pen from Quatre's hand. "A diamond?"

"Yup, a diamond," Quatre confirmed and tried to steal it back.

"What happened to the good old nick-names like honey, love, baby and the likes," I asked, failing a little to see a guy like Trowa call anybody a 'diamond'. Then again, I couldn't really see Trowa call anyone 'Baby' or something like that. Maybe 'love'… 'Honey' if I think about it real hard, but that's as far as my imagination is gonna take me.

"Well, I think it's sweet," Quatre replied and tried to push me off his desk.

I just grimaced and jumped down on my own before parking my ass in a chair. "Yeah, real sweet to be compared to a matt stone that you dig up from the earth."

Tossing a curled up piece of paper towards my head, Quatre huffed and crossed his arms. "Why do you have to be so cynical," he pouted while I was busy playing with the pen I had taken. I didn't really have an answer for that. Why was I being so cynical? I should have been happy that one of my best friends was in a happy and hopefully healthy relationship (I don't poke my nose where it doesn't belong and it most certainly doesn't belong in Quatre and Trowa's sex life), but I wasn't. I mean, I was happy for them, but I wasn't happy because of them.

"I guess I just don't see the value of being called by a nick-name," I ended up replying, but I knew that the lack of a reason had been nailed to the wall. "If you're in love with someone, I think you should call 'em by the proper name. I mean, if I call you "pookey" instead of Quatre, I can imagine that you're someone else."

"I think you're just jealous," Quatre smirked while shuffling some papers around on the desk.

I just snorted. "I'm not jealous."

Quatre just continued to smirk and placed his head into his hands. "I think you are."

"Get real," I grimaced while tossing the pen towards Quatre. He ducked and it hit the wall before rolling somewhere on the floor. "I can live a very full life without being called a diamond or anything cheesy like that."

Quatre chuckled and ducked down to fish up the pen from underneath his desk. "Suit yourself, Duo."

"I am," I replied while getting up from the chair, motioning to my Preventers' outfit. "I even tie my own tie."

Quatre chuckled before waving me out of his office and I left with a wave of my own. "Oh, and Quatre?"

Quatre looked up from his papers and blinked. "Yes?"

Smirking a little, I winked before speaking. "I don't think you're a diamond. You're more a… Lolite," I chuckled, making Quatre laugh as well.

Yes, I know my gems. I had to study them for a case I had involving stolen jewelry and it's just stuck to mind. Curse my incredible memory.

"Okay, I have no idea why you said that," he snickered and I just waved my hand again before walking down the hall towards my own office.

But Quatre, unknowingly or on purpose, that I didn't know… But the damn blond had struck a nerve.

Truth be told… I was jealous… I was very jealous in fact. Don't get me wrong, I was very happy that Quatre and Trowa had found together, as mentioned before, but it also made something inside of me hurt.

I've had partners of both sexes and while I've had fun with them, I've never become emotionally attached to them. I'm not easy, very far from it. At the age of 20 I'm still a virgin, believe it or not. I may be a tease, but I'm not a whore. I don't spread my legs nor do I spread anyone else's in order to get some nookie. I have better control than that, thank you very much.

Though, I have become very familiar with Mrs. Palm and her five daughters…

Anyway, while I'd been in relationships before, I've never really felt anything than a deep caring for them at best. I've never been heads over heels in love and I think it was that I was jealous over. That Quatre and Trowa were so into each other, that they didn't see anything else. The world could explode and they wouldn't notice.

I wanted that…

The problem was… I didn't know whom I wanted it with.

As mentioned, I've dated both men and women. The plumbing doesn't matter to me; I like someone for his or her mind and personality. Or as Quatre says, I've got so much love that I wanna share it with everybody, gender be damned. But while the physical attraction was there, I'd never found anyone that I was mentally attracted to. I never found anyone that I trusted enough to share my secrets with, never found anyone that I wanted to spend the night with, just walking and cuddling. And as it looked now, it didn't look like it was going to happen any time soon either.

That is, until my partner at the Preventers suddenly started making himself very… noticeable for me.

Heero Yuy has changed since the last war ended, but he still has as much charm as a brick wall. That is, what you see of the brick wall before your face is slammed into it. He's not very social and while he's able to laugh and smile and just in general talk without reserves, he still has problems with rage and strong emotions like that. And he's gotten a sense of humour too.

I think that romantic feelings confuse the hell out of him too. I'll never forget the time he came to me and asked if he was sick after telling me the classical symptoms of a man in love. Turned out he had what could be described as a crush on this female agent, but apparently it wasn't meant to be. They turned out to be way too different and she expected too much from the poor man.

I don't think he's dated much after that. I think he tried to date Relena at some point, just because it was expected of him because of the public and the media, but I think they both found out very fast that it just wasn't working out. He's too reserved and he has special needs that Relena just can't cater, no matter how much she wants to. They're still friends, but their relationship is more sibling like, more like mine and Hilde's relationship.

But now I'm just getting sidetracked again. The point was, it only took one second for me to realize that Heero was uber hot and the realization slapped me in the face with a feeling that was pretty much like getting my face smacked into the brick wall I talked about earlier.

This happened the day after my conversation with Quatre and it all started with my usual trip to the water cooler.

We all know that most of the office gossip takes place by the water cooler, no matter what type of job you have. Hey, even secret agents need a place to share the filth we have on others. It's like a law of nature.

It was the nature of the conversation that took me a little by surprise. I had no idea that the fitness of Heero's… butt was a topic of its own. I just hope that my best parts are still left in the shades.

xoxoxoxoxox

"I'm telling you, Heero's got the finest ass on the entire squad!"

One of the female agents snickered and shook her head. "Nu-uh. Agent Chang has an ass you can fry an egg on!"

I just raised an eyebrow over that one. "Fry an egg on? That's a new one."

The agent, named Susanne, just grinned. "Means that his ass is hot, Maxwell."

I just "aaaaah,"'ed over that one and continued filling up my mug with water.

"So what do you think, Duo?" Lindsey asked me while curling up her own Styrofoam mug and tossing it away.

"Hmmm?"

Lindsey smiled and winked. "Who do you think has the finest ass? Being Bi, you shouldn't have any limits to the gender."

I just chuckled before thinking. "Hmmm… The finest ass… Well, I'll admit that Wufei has a killer ass. Bet he could crack a walnut with his butt-checks," I grinned and winked. "Though, Matthews down at forensic has one of those butts that just bounces when it's smacked."

Susanne and Lindsey started laughing with that before Susanne grinned and asked. "But what about Heero's ass? What do you think about that?"

I fidgeted a little with that one. Heero was my best friend and I couldn't really put a label on his ass. "I don't really have an opinion on it," I eventually answered, feeling like that would save me.

It didn't.

"Come on, you must have some opinion on it," Susanne pushed while Lindsey just nodded. "Yeah! Come on, it's just an ass. Nothing bad about labelling your friend's ass."

"That's sounding so wrong to me," I grimaced before taking a sip from my mug. "Fine…" I eventually said and started thinking. "Well… To be honest… Heero's got one of the best asses I've ever seen. Hard, narrow, but not completely gone. I mean, the ass is definitely there. Looks like it's a handful, which I like…" Nodding to myself, I gave my final verdict. "Yup. Heero's definitely got one of the finest asses I've ever seen. And the man himself ain't half to shabby either if you know what I mean," I grinned while taking a sip of water from my cup.

"I'm glad it's appreciated," an amused voice behind me replied, making me "eep".

"Heero," I said and whirled around, a light blush covering my face. "I didn't see ya there!"

"Which is to be expected since you were standing with your back towards me and I assume you haven't developed eyes in your neck since the last time I saw you," Heero replied dryly and smirked a little.

I never said that Heero's sense of humour had gotten any better.

"Hardy-har-har," I replied and grimaced. "I see you've gotten your daily dose of caffeine," I added and offered a smirk.

"Double dose," Heero replied before making a turning motion with his finger. "Turn around."

I raised my eyebrow and downed the water from my mug. "Why?"

"You evaluated my ass. I think it's fair that I get to do the same," Heero smirked and took a sip from his cup, his finger still doing that turning around motion. "So turn around and show me."

"The hell, Yuy," I barked, feeling my cheeks heat up. "Why the hell do you suddenly wanna check out my ass for?!"

Heero just kept smirking. "One for one. You have an opinion of my ass. I would like my own opinion of yours. It's only fair."

Glaring at my partner, I turned around and placed my hands on my hips. "Okay, fine. Check it out," I said, sticking my hips out a little just to tease him.

I could hear a pin drop over the silence in the room and I could basically feel his eyes on my ass. My cheeks only turned redder and redder. Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to my body… I'm horrible shy.

Anyway, Heero spent a long time just looking before the verdict came.

"It's very flat."

"What?!" Whirling around, I just stared at my partner's smirking face, my cheeks beet red.

Heero just shrugged. "It's flat. You don't really have much of an ass. I think you should gain some weight so you can get some forms."

"I'm no fucking female," I barked back. I couldn't believe my own ears! Heero Yuy was actually criticising my body. "I can't help that my body ain't super engineered like your body is, Yuy!"

The bastard's smirk just turned bigger. "I didn't say that your body looked bad, Maxwell. In fact, you have a damn fine body. Very well tuned and powerful considering how thin you are."

I blinked at that. "Eh?" Then my cheeks reddened some more.

Heero just smirked and leaned forward to whisper into my ear. "And I didn't say that your ass was bad. Just flat. And I think I like it that way." And with that he left, leaving me red-cheeked and shell-shocked by the water cooler with women howling from laughter around me.

Nothing really new there, except that I suddenly had gotten new information.

Heero Yuy… Liked my ass.

Well, shit…

xoxoxoxoxoxo

The days passed without anything really happening, but a few things had changed during that short period of time. For one, I caught Heero looking at me more often. Not really ogling, but more in… Curiosity, I suppose. Like I was a puzzle that he couldn't quite figure out. He wasn't ashamed either because I'd caught him staring more than once and each time he just smirked before returning his attention to whatever he was doing.

Damn smug bastard.

He's just too damn confident in everything he does, even when it comes to checking out his own partner.

Another thing I noticed was that he seemed more… Touchy than before. Each time he approached me, he seemed to have an excuse to touch me. If he handed over a file, his fingers would touch mine. If he was to read something over my shoulder, he made sure to place a hand onto said shoulder, something he's NEVER had the need to do before when it came to me. He also made sure to flex his thumb against my neck as he leaned against my shoulder, something that always made me shiver.

And he knew it too.

Damn smug bastard.

Yeah, I know… Already said that…

But he really was, and still is, a damn smug bastard.

Anyway, point is that something about Heero changed after the day he was "allowed" to check out my ass. If I didn't know better, I would say that he was flirting with me, but since he'd dated only females in the past, I was still sure that he was straight.

The odds of four out of five gundam pilots being either gay or Bi was just too big of a coincidence. Must have been something in either the Gundanium or the zero system if you ask me.

But then again, most gay guys find out they're gay after dating females and maybe Heero happened to be one of them.

Personally, I prefer the company of guys because they know what I need. I don't need flowers or tender words, I need the truth no matter how rough it is. Nobody understands a guy better than another guy, after all. When we're down, we need to air it out by means of physical labour rather than quiet talking, though that is nice as well sometimes. Also, we're not hard to cater. We don't need flowers when we're upset, though some chocolate is always nice.

Maybe that went for Heero as well. Maybe the females just were too hard for him to understand and he needed a guy's mind to be with. Someone who knew what he'd been through and understood him and his needs. Someone who he could trust with everything, no matter how ugly that everything is. Someone he didn't need to cater to all the time because they knew what he felt anyway by just looking at him and knew that he felt the same way when looking back at him.

Someone who'd been there for him all the way as he slowly regained his humanity.

Someone who'd laughed and cried with him, held him when he needed to be held and smacked the shit out of him when he needed that.

Someone… Someone like me.

Honestly, I didn't know what I felt towards those thoughts. It wasn't like I found Heero ugly or anything, on the contrary, he was very attractive with those gorgeous blue eyes, the messy hair, that lean, but oh, so fit body and... Yeah… You get the picture… But… He was my friend, my best friend and… Well… I've never thought about him that way.

But it wasn't like I would say no to him. I've never been afraid to take a chance. And if there were a chance that something could evolve between us, then I would love to explore them with him. All he had to do was ask.

But apparently when it came to courtship, Heero preferred the long road instead of a direct approach.

Something that I was about to find out as the days and weeks passed by.

Weeks of torture in the form of small gestures, touches and just plain looks…

xoxoxoxoxo

"Duo!"

Turning around as my partner came running towards me, I adjusted the folders I'd been carrying to rest under my arm while my free hand was placed on my hip. "Yeah, Hee-man?"

Stopping in front of me, Heero ran a hand through his hair before offering a faint smirk, which vanished as soon as it appeared. "Are you doing anything this weekend?"

Raising an eyebrow, I slowly shook my head, my own long bangs flying a little here and there because of the motion. "Not that I know of, no," I murmured and shrugged a little. "Planned on catching a movie and just hibernate on my couch for the weekend. That's about it. Why?"

Heero just smirked before handing me a folder. "I may have a better offer for you," he murmured and watched as I looked over the small folder, reading over the text inside.

"A show?" I asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Dinner and a show," Heero corrected and pointed at the folder. "It's a dinner-theater," he said while running a hand through his hair, one of his few nervous gestures.

Aww… Isn't that sweet? Heero Yuy is nervous…

…

Yeah, I'll shut up…

Anyway, the theater!

"What kind of show is it," I asked, looking a little sceptic. I wasn't really fond of the theatre, I've only seen a handful of good shows, which all was from the pre-colony era. Heck, it was basically pre-pre-colony.

"Pre-colony," Heero replied and I let out a small breath. Thank god for that, then it would be survivable to be there. Not even having Heero as my date would help if it were one of those new shows that were being set up. What type of pre-colony show it was didn't really matter, Heero knows better than to pick something he knows I'll hate. And I am pretty flexible so even if Heero picks something he's not sure I'll like or not, I'll sit through it anyway.

If this was a date, that is... Which I doubted.

"Sure, if you're buying," I grinned and put the folder in my back pocket.

"Great," Heero said and nodded before smirking. "Then it's a date, Duo. I'll pick you up at Friday around seven, wear something nice," he murmured before turning and walking away, leaving me with my mouth slightly open and my eyes probably ready to pop out of their sockets.

Heero Yuy… Just asked me out on a date.

And all I could think was, "Holy shit, what the hell am I gonna wear?!"

Now, before you go on about me being a fashion-freak or anything, I'll say to my defence that I'm not. For a gay, or Bi guy, I absolutely hate everything that has to do with shopping and I can't see the difference between today's fashion and the fashion that was last year. If it's ugly, it's ugly and no matter how "in" the thing is, it doesn't really change anything for me.

And when it came to dressing up… Well… I don't really like it. I feel really uncomfortable in those monkey-suits and every time I have to attend one of Relena's high-fashioned parties I feel like a small grey stone that was shined up so I could blend in with the diamonds. Pity that I stand out like a wound to the face no matter what I do.

I know that Heero feels the same way about suits, but he is more comfortable in them than I am. I also know that he doesn't give a damn about what I wear; like me he would rather have what's inside the package instead of the wrappings.

Still… Doesn't hurt to dress up a little for a date now, does it?

Besides, we've seen each other at our worst so nothing I can come up with can possible scare the guy and the other way around.

Unless he shows up in a bunny suit.

Or a dress.

Yeah, lets just… Walk away from that train of thoughts…

I'm gonna get nightmares now…

xoxoxoxoxo

The rest of the week went by somewhat painless, but my ass had become the new topic around the office after it got known that Heero Yuy, or agent Frosty as I liked to call him, had an opinion on it. Everybody wanted to see the ass that had, according to the rumours, rattled Heero's brain and impressed him enough to ask the office clown out on a date.

What surprised me the most was that people thought I was actually was picky about people I go out with. That I was some sort of office trophy that everybody was just dying to get their hands on. I mean, hello! I'm not that attractive, I'm more or less the average looking Joe.

Must be the hair.

Or my eyes.

People love my eyes.

And apparently my ass.

Anyway, I got more than one look during my trips down halls, during office meetings and briefings, and I'm not overdoing it when I say that the people looked… jealous.

Was I really such a prize?

Or was it the fact that I've been asked out by Heero while they hadn't?

I honestly didn't know and it bugged me a little. I mean, if we were such fantastic people, why didn't they ask us? It's not like we'd laugh at them in their faces.

It made me a little nervous to be honest.

Friday rolled around a little faster than I expected and as I checked out with Marge, the secretary, Heero was quick to join me there with a pat on the shoulder and a murmured "Don't forget our date" into my ear.

"Umm, yeah. I remember," I murmured, blushing a little and making Marge laugh. Heero just smirked and gave me a wave before leaving to make a delivery. The guy didn't get off until another two hours. And yet I didn't feel sorry for him.

But I was free and I was very happy to drive home to my very modest two-room apartment. I know it's not the biggest place around the block, but it's all the space I need. I have a large living room with a kitchen in the corner, separated by a counter.

It's modest, but it looks very nice.

My living room is in a soft, blueish colour with a black leather couch in the middle of the room. In front of it is a very classy coffee table, which I got from Quatre when I first moved in, but I use it as a dinner table.

But don't tell Quatre that.

Other than that I have a huge window behind my couch with enough space for me to sit along the edge of the window. Next to it I have this nice… What's it called… Not a bed, looks like a couch, but… Ah, futons! I think it's called that at least. Anyway, it's a great spot to just lie and read a book.

By the wall there I have a huge bookcase with lots of shelves, stuffed with books, movies and pictures of my friends. I don't have much knick-knack, but I have a few souvenirs from the different spots I've travelled to over the years.

My kitchen isn't big, but it holds the necessities, a fridge, dishwasher, oven and the likes. My fridge-door is stuffed with postcards and shopping lists and brightly coloured magnets I've gotten from the kids at the Preventers' Orphanage.

I love it.

The bedroom isn't the biggest, but it fits a king-size bed, a closet and a desk where my computer's seated. And I still have enough room to walk around in.

My bathroom isn't much to say about either, I have what I need in there.

And I just loved the place. It was the closest thing I've had so far to call a home since the church burned down.

When I was home, the first thing I did was to make myself some food. I still had three hours until Heero picked me up and unless I ate something, I'd starve by the time we were at the theater. It wasn't anything big, just a sandwich, but it would fill me up nicely while I waited.

When that was devoured, I jumped into the shower. I'd had demolition training for some new recruits today and I stank. Badly. Still, something in me told me to crack up my special scented soaps and shampoos, just so I could smell a little extra good for Heero. I only used them on special occasions and I dare say that this was one.

Twisting off the shower after a while, I stepped out before twisting the water out of my hair so it wouldn't take so long at drying. I refuse to dry it with a hair-dryer, it really tears on my hair.

Wrapping one towel around my waist and the other over my hair, I walked to my bedroom to find something to wear for the evening. I had it all planned out, I swear. Something nice, but casual. Nothing to fancy, but good enough to look classy.

Yeah, right.

That was… Mission impossible.

Remember how I said that what I wore didn't really matter to me? That what's on the inside is the stuff that mattered?

Well… I think that's the first time I made a liar out of myself because I tried on five different shirts, three different dress-pants and even struggled between two boxers, which was kinda stupid since they both were black silk boxers, in different combinations.

I was at my… Think it was the twelfth combination or something, black boxers (duuuuuh), a pair of black, kinda tight-fitted dress-pants and a red, silken shirt that was halfway buttoned up when my doorbell rang.

"I'm coming," I yelled while buttoning the last of the buttons while walking with bare feet over to the door. I never got around to compare my outfit with socks and I'm kinda glad I didn't think about it either. Then I never would have finished.

Still, nothing could have prepared me for the sight of one hot piece of Heero Yuy outside my door. Remember that charm Heero had that I told you about? The feeling of being smacked into a brick wall when being exposed to it?

Yeah, I got that one. I was dazed, I couldn't stop staring, I swear my damn knees were shaking and I am pretty sure I was drooling too.

Heero was standing there with his hands behind his back, wearing that damn smirk of his and a very fitting suit. Black, formfitting pants, black shoes polished to perfecting, a nice silken shirt covered by a black vest. No tie or anything, which gave the appearance a very… casual look over it in a way. He looked gorgeous to put it simple.

When the hell did he become that gorgeous?!

Or maybe the question was; Why the hell hadn't I noticed that he was that gorgeous?!

"Hi," he smirked and I just nodded, unable to shake what I was convinced was a look of a gold-fish from my face.

"Hey…"

"Ready to go," he asked, looking me over and I can swear there was a very satisfied look on his face once he was done evaluating me.

"Just about," I replied. "Just gotta get some socks," I added and disappeared into my bedroom. "Come on in, make yourself comfortable and I'll be out in a jiffy!"

I wondered if I was able to make another change of clothes, but eventually decided against it.

Heero had already seen me in this after all and he did look very satisfied.

When I got out again, socks and shoes on my feet, Heero was standing in the middle of the living room, just looking around. When he heard me, he turned his head towards me and smiled. "You look great," he murmured and I could feel myself blushing.

"Oh, it was just something I tossed on," I grinned and waved my hand. "No biggie."

Heero just chuckled before extracting his hands from his back, holding out a bouquet with red roses. "These are for you," he murmured softly.

Well, shit…

"T-thank you," I said, feeling my voice hitch. No one had ever given me roses before and while I consider myself being all man and against all that sappy romance shit, I found myself oddly… Touched over the gesture.

"Let me just put these in some water and we can go," I added and walked to the kitchen. An empty bottle of wine would have to do for a vase for tonight since I didn't own a proper vase and so I filled it with water before nudging the steams carefully down the neck of the bottle. Sniffing them gently, I brought it over to my coffee table and put them down. "They're lovely, Heero," I murmured and smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Heero replied before walking towards the door, waiting by it. "I wasn't sure if you would… like roses. It was either that or chocolate, but I'm not feeding you that before we're going out. We're going to a theatre and I don't need a kid on a sugar-high to take care of."

And all the sweetness disappeared with that statement.

"After all, I want a date there."

And with that brought it straight back up.

Think Heero needs some more training in the art of courting someone, because right now he used me like a yo-yo.

Still, it appeared that he'd done some sort of research because he held the door open for me and let me go out first. Granted, it was my front door, but it's the thought that counts, even though I had to run back up to lock the damn door because Heero's action had left me so perplexed that I forgot.

When I returned, he held up the car door for me, which was kinda… Well… I wasn't all that sure how I felt, except that I was left with a feeling that Heero was treating me like a woman.

So when he drove up to the parking lot of the theatre and got up to open the door for me, I told him not to. He was very understanding and let me open my own door, but that may be because I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and practically hissed it into his face. The guy has to get certain things in with a spoon.

Still, he opened the door to the theatre and gestured for me to go in first, but that was okay.

"You never told me what play we were going to see," I said while looking around. There were a lot of high-class people here, enough of them to leave me a little uncomfortable.

"Les Miserable. It was a very popular play during the pre-colony times. It's been set up at least once every fifth year because of heavy demands since it was created. At least according to the brochure," Heero replied before looking at me with this… Look I'd never seen before. I couldn't describe it, not right away at least. "Are you okay? You look a little pale."

I nodded and put up a brave smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I just feel a little… Uncomfy, I guess. I mean, I'm standing out like a gray stone amongst all these glittering diamonds," I replied and shrugged.

Heero gave me an odd look before murmuring. "You don't stand out, you're ever as much a diamond as these people are."

I snorted and pulled a face. "Oh, please. I'm much more rough around the edges than these people."

Heero smirked then. "A diamond in the rough then," he murmured before gesturing towards the hall we were supposed to sit in. "Shall we?" he asked and offered me his hand

I couldn't help but blink, both over the gesture and over the comment. A diamond in the rough? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Shaking the thoughts away, I shyly linked my arm with Heero before I was guided into the grand hall.

And I got the urge to run the second I was in there.

The place was so fancy to do that I felt like I was violating a rule just by looking around. But when Heero moved his arm away from mine to gently grasp my hand with a squeeze, I felt a little better. "Don't think you don't belong. You are worth just as much, if not more, as these people. You have just as big the right to be here."

I smiled a little at the guy and chuckled. "Thanks, Heero." He really was trying to make me relax and feel good about being here, and I didn't want to seem ungrateful. It was a nice gesture of Heero to bring me here, and I would relax. It was just the first impression that knocked me down.

"Come, our table is over here."

I nodded and followed my date over to the waiting table, were he proceeded to pull out the chair for me. I sighed over that and told him not to treat me like a damn girl, but he just smirked and pushed the chair, with me on it, into the table before taking a seat as well.

We weren't sitting across each other like people normally do on restaurants and stuff, we were pretty much sitting next to each other with our faces towards the stage. I suppose it's so we can eat and watch at the same time. It was okay, it was nice to sit next to Heero and just talk, but I felt kinda silly each time I turned my head so I could face him.

A waiter came over not very long after we were seated to take our orders, in which Heero ordered wine for us both. The food, apparently, was already decided. "Aren't you driving," I asked and raised an eyebrow while Heero just smirked.

"Don't worry, I'm not planning on drinking much. Maybe one glass, if even that. The alcohol will be missing from my body before the show's even done."

I chuckled and shook my head. "I'll take your word for it. But if we get in a drunken accident and you get me killed, I will come back and haunt you," I warned, making Heero grin.

"Well, at least I'll know where I'll have you. And you won't rob my fridge anymore."

"Touché," I grinned before the waiter was back with a very sweet-smelling bottle of wine and poured it into the glasses that were already seated on the table. I quietly thanked him before having a taste, watching Heero nod his own thanks before doing the same.

I'm not really a wine person, but it wasn't half bad. I guess the years as Relena's bodyguard at different parties hadleft Heero with a certain knowledge about things.

It didn't take very long before the lights were dimmed and the show started. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, maybe that the food would be served in the darkness, but I guess that was kinda silly of me to believe. But the only thing that did happen was that… Well… The show started. That's it.

Still, it was a very impressive show and I almost moaned in disappointment when the first break came.

"I'll take it that you liked it so far?"

I grinned and nodded. "Yeah, it was… Amazing. Truly amazing. The voices, the setting."

Heero chuckled and smiled back at me. "I am glad you approved. I picked this show because… Well… I felt that we both could relate to the setting, if only a little."

I nodded and smiled. "Yeah… I could recognize myself in a few of the scenes," I murmured and glanced over at Heero before grimacing. "But I could have survived without those… 'Ladies' behind us talking," I added in a slightly sour mumble and glanced over at them. They were still talking, seemingly not caring that they were disturbing the other people here. I hated people like that.

"Lets hope they quiet down when it starts again," Heero murmured and sipped his wine.

"How many breaks is it?" I asked and let my own fingers caress the stem of my glass, just looking into the deep red liquid in my glass.

"Just one more, which will be when we dine. It'll last for about an hour so people can truly enjoy the outing," he replied before adding in a very soft voice. "And of course, their company."

Okay, now I was convinced that Heero had a thing for me.

I mean, I'm not blind. I started suspecting it after all those odd gestures and caresses over the past three weeks and I kind of got my hopes up when he asked me out on a date, and not one of our usual outings. But these looks he gave me and the way his foot kept bumping into mine underneath the table… Well, call me slow, but I was pretty sure that Heero was interested in something more than two friends just being out together.

Not that I minded, I was just a little curious as to when Heero had suddenly became interested in me.

Not to mention the fact that I suddenly found myself very interested in him. When the hell did that happen?

I know I said that Heero is about as charming as a whack to the head by a brick wall, but when it comes to looks… Okay, so Heero isn't the most handsome man in the universe, but quite frankly, what he has to show for isn't anything to be ashamed over. He has a very mature looking face, a strong jaw and chin with a muscled, firm neck going down over to a pair of broad and muscled shoulders. His once so childish looking face is gone, the slight baby-fat that he had is now gone. But what's really sucking you in is the eyes. They're as intense as the first day I saw him, the look of determination is still there and I doubt it'll ever go away.

All in all, while Heero might not be Mr. Universe, he is quite easy on the eyes.

Not that I'm much better myself, but lets not go there.

Eventually the lights were dimmed again and the show started, stopping my thoughts for now, which was probably just as well. They were getting a little out of hand for my taste, I had never really given my feelings a good think-over.

I guess I have relationship-issues because I'm afraid the good, old Maxwell-curse is going to start again.

Leaning against my seat, I tried to enjoy the show, but the damn 'ladies' behind us kept up with the talking. Sure, I talk during shows sometimes as well, but at least I talked about the damn shows and not about… Okay, were they seriously talking about the difference in pedicures?

"God, how annoying," I whispered to Heero and rolled my eyes. "I came to hear the show, not them."

Heero nodded at that before he, to my surprise, turned around to face the women and hissed. "May you be so kind and shut your mouths? People paid to hear the show, not you and quite frankly, you are ruining the enjoyment for both myself and my partner. So unless you plan on shutting up, then be so kind and leave the room before I make you do it."

I think I looked about as stunned as the two ladies, but Heero quickly snapped me out from it by giving me a smirk and whispered "Better now?" into my ear. I just grinned and nodded and murmured a quiet "Yeah, thank you," back to him.

The rest of the show was far more enjoyable now that I really could focus on it and dinner… All I can say is wow. It was truly delicious and Heero was just a… He was perfect. It truly started feeling more and more like a date as we ate and talked quietly to each other about everything and nothing. I mean, it was just like any of our other dinners together, except now we actually played footsie underneath the table. We even fed each other pieces of our food to each other at one point, which was kind of… Sweet. When dinner was over, we just gazed into each others eyes as we kept talking, leaving me with a fluttery feeling in my stomach. Everything was just so different tonight, leaving me with a feeling actually… Being in love.

All in all… I had a great night out. The show was ever as great as I'd heard, the food was delicious and Heero was a very comfortable date to be with. We didn't run out of topics to talk about during the breaks, he paid attention to me without being smothering or annoying and he held my hand during the whole show; before, during and after the breaks.

He was, in short, a gentleman.

But that kind of changed when we got home to my place…

I invited him up for some coffee and light chit-chat, nothing more, and he accepted. He followed up behind me was we walked up the stairs to my apartment, he placed a hand around my waist as I inserted the key into the hole and when the door was open…

It was like there was an entirely new person standing next to me.

As soon as I had stepped into the apartment with the words, "I really had a great time tonight, Heero", Heero closed the door before basically slamming me to the wall and covered my lips with his own, hungry ones.

I blinked and hesitated for a second before my brain could even process what was going on and that was all he needed in order to get one hand underneath my shirt, caressing my sides while the other one had both my hands over my head, pressing them against the wall.

The guy's strong and I had no chance of breaking free without tending to a few very dirty tricks, which I was very reluctant to use against my best friend.

But if he was going too far without listening to me, I would do it, no questions asked. No one screws with Duo Maxwell, not even Heero Yuy.

… At least not without permission.

But I wanted to reason with him first and as soon as his lips left mine to trail over my jaw, I spoke up. "Whoa, slow down there! You're going a little too fast for me here."

He didn't answer, but I could feel him smirk against my skin before he bit down on my neck and started sucking.

"Hey, hey! Easy, man! Stop it!" I did not like this at all.

Heero only looked up at me for a second, a very puzzled look on his face before he grinned, looking like he'd come to some sort of realization.

Too bad it was the wrong one…

"Hey, stop it," I yelled as his teeth raked over my neck again, making my knees buckle underneath me and only the fact that Heero had me pressed up to the wall was the only thing that was actually keeping me standing up.

"Heero… Please stop it…" I was whimpering now and actually felt a little scared. I didn't wanna be raped by my best friend. Luckily, Heero heard that the whimper wasn't one of pleasure, but of fright.

"… Duo?"

I looked up at him and swallowed, trying my best to just regain my composure. "You're… Moving a little too fast. I usually don't even kiss on the first date…"

Heero looked confused. "You… you don't want this?"

I shook my head. "No. Heero, I like you and I love you dearly a my friend, but jumping in bed after just one date is a little to quick for me."

Heero blinked and released me from the wall, but he didn't remove his hands from me. Well… He removed them from underneath my shirt and let them rest lightly on my sides, but that was okay. "But…"

"But what?" Now I was curious and all the terror from earlier was gone. "Heero?"

"Isn't… This the way it is done?"

"Is what done?"

Heero bit his lip and suddenly looked as scared as I had felt just a few moments ago.

"This… This whole… Seduction thing. Isn't it done this way?"

I frowned and shook my head. "No. Not in real life at least. At least not for me. Who told you to ram your partner against the wall and ravish him?"

"No one," Heero mumbled and looked down, long chocolate bangs covered his face so I couldn't see his eyes. "But… When me and Relena… broke up… She told me to read books so I would know how to seduce and love my partner and… I did… And then I watched romance movies and the men there always did this to their date."

I blinked and just stared at Heero with what I suspect was pretty owlishly eyes. Then I started laughing. I just couldn't help it, it was just to funny, not to mention the mental image it gave me. Heero Yuy sitting in front of the TV, taking notes on how to seduce someone from a cheap romance movie.

"It's not funny! Stop laughing!"

Grinning slightly, I looked into Heero's eyes, carefully not to comment on my partners suddenly very rose-colored cheeks. I think that was the first time I'd ever seen him blush. Not even the medicals with Sally, and I mean the full up body check up were you do more than just cough, make him flustered.

"I'm sorry, Heero, but… Movies are just fiction. Things that happen there rarely work in real life, man," I said and grinned, reaching up to cup his slightly warm cheek. Damn, he was cute like this.

"Now he tells me," he mumbled, but still tilted his head into my hand, closing his eyes.

"So for how long have you wanted to seduce me?"

Hey, I had a right to know.

"I dunno," he replied and I could tell that it was an honest reply. "For too long, I think. I just… couldn't find a way to… To…"

"To approach me with the suggestion of a more deep relationship than the one of best friends," I suggested, making him chuckle.

"Yes," he murmured and finally opened his eyes so I could look into them. God, the man had pretty eyes. "That conversation by the water cooler gave me the courage to actually approach you and give you an opinion of what I thought for you. Guess I delivered a pretty bad message."

I snickered at that and gave him a light nudge with my fist. "Or maybe I just didn't process the information right. But… I always thought you were straight so I didn't really think about it as a suggestion to explore something deeper between us," I murmured and smiled up at Heero.

… Yes, the man was taller than me. Damn, he's Japanese and Asian men are supposed to be short, while I'm American and supposed to be tall. But he's already outgrown me with at least three inches!

Damn my weak L2 genes…

But back to the important stuff!

When I said what I did, Heero looked a little more relaxed and I used that opportunity to guide us both over to my couch. He looked a little hesitant to sit at first, but when I patted the seat next to me, he smiled and sat down, taking my hands in his.

"You know the package isn't important to me… It's what's on the inside I'm after, just like you," he murmured and I smiled at that.

"I know we've both said that on a few occasions, but I thought it went for clothes on your part, not the whole thing."

He chuckled a little and gave me a very beautiful smile. "I guess I haven't really hinted much to the fact that I too lean over on the male side as well as the female one," he replied and I snickered.

"You don't seem the type. But personally, I find the whole 'breast' thing a little overrated. They're not that fun to play with."

Heero blushed again and cleared his throat. "I… Wouldn't know, I… Never made those kind of approaches towards my dates. I found it inappropriate."

"But you had no problem shoving you hand down my pants while licking my tonsils," I asked with a smirk, making the colour on his cheeks even redder.

"It was the damn books and movies, I say! That's what Relena thought I did wrong. That I wasn't… Aggressive enough on my intentions." Poor guy, he was really struggling and I couldn't help but let the smirk melt away and be replaced with a smile.

"Well, there's something that's called being a little too aggressive," I chuckled and leaned over to give him a small peck on the nose. "It's called rape."

He grimaced and actually looked a little disgusted as he seemingly was replaying the scene in his head. "I never meant to do that, but-"

"I know, I know. The books. But next time I think you should just calm down a little, okay? You ruined my favourite shirt and I don't wanna have any more clothing ruined when on a date with you."

Heero blinked and once again got that confused look on his face. "You… You want a second date? Even after that…?"

He trailed off and I snickered before nodding. "Yes, Heero. I would like a second date with you. It's already forgiven and forgotten, though it would make a killer story at the next Preventers Christmas party."

Heero looked at me as I wiggled my hands free from his grasp and held them up in the air as I was quoting something. "'So how did you and Heero get together?' 'Well, you see, he brought me flowers, took me to a dinner and show, and then he slammed me up against the wall at home and ravished me.' Imagine the faces."

Heero chuckled a little and shook his head, looking mildly amused. "I'd rather not… I'd rather picture them as you tell them how I seduced you the correct way without skipping a few rules of dating on the way.

I just laughed and leaned over to kiss Heero again, and this time it was much more enjoyable.

"You really are precious," he murmured against my lips and looked at me with half-lidded eyes. "You really are a diamond... A treasure… How come you're not taken?"

I chuckled and shrugged. "I'm no diamond, Heero… Just a rock. You and the guys are diamonds, man," I murmured back as a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around my waist and pulled me close.

"You are a diamond, Duo," he murmured and smiled. "A diamond in the rough. Natural, true… Simple, but so complex. Who else would be in the arms of someone who mere moments ago tried to get into your pants?"

I laughed at that and wrapped my arms around his neck. It was… Strange how natural it felt, as if it had always been this. Like we was simply slipping into a new stage without problems at all. "I'm a regular guy, Heero. Nothing shiny about me. I don't even like things too shiny, it's too… Snobbish for me. I don't need a hundred karat diamond ring to be happy, just toss a lollipop my way and I'll be a happy camper."

Heero chuckled and smiled, removing a hand from my waist to gently brush some hair out of my eyes. "That's what I am saying, Duo… A diamond in the rough… Simple, yet complex. Shaped by no one but time itself and the environment around you. I admire that."

I chuckled and grinned. "Well, you're a diamond too. Strong, hard-headed. The strongest element on earth."

He chuckled and grinned back. "And the others?"

I shrugged and leaned my forehead against his. "They're rock-heads too… They're all gems and they all have different qualities… Quatre's a lolite because of his sense of business and friendship. Tro's a peridot because be brings peace to us all and Wu… Wu's an onyx."

"Which means," he asked while running his fingers lightly down over my neck before the arm was wrapped around my waist again.

"Onyx is the stone for self-control and inner peace."

"Good choices," Heero murmured and smiled at me, still looking at me with half-lidded eyes. "I am… amazed by your memory, it must be over half a year since you had that mission with the gems."

I chuckled and shrugged, letting my own fingertips gently caress over Heero's neck. "What can I say? When I like something or find it interesting, I usually remember it."

"I admire that skill," he replied and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "But I think you give yourself to little credit. You are as much of a diamond as I am. A diamond in the rough. My diamond in the rough."

I snorted and shrugged at that. "We'll see… Just… Enough with the gem-talk and kiss me instead, will ya?"

Heero snorted with that and grinned. "As you wish," he murmured before diving in for the kill. And damn, what a kill it was. You know how the French call an orgasm for a 'Petite Morte', meaning a little death? Well, Heero basically had me coming in my pants just from the intensity of his kisses. He was firm about it, but he was gentle and not at all trying to be forceful or even dominating. We were equals, something that kind of surprised me. When I dated females, they expected me to be in charge, which didn't really suit me. When I dated men, they tried to dominate me, which kind of made me uncomfortable.

But Heero… Heero treated me with respect and a sense of caring that I'd never experienced from him before. I mean, he's always been kind and stuff with me, if not a little rough at times during missions and stuff, but not like this.

His hands were questioning, but not like they were when he had me pressed to the wall. They searched, but they didn't forced themselves anywhere I didn't want them, so when I gave them a playful swat as they trailed over my ass, he simply chuckled into the kiss and let them rest against my sides instead.

"Do you wanna stay the night," I asked when the kiss eventually broke, feeling my checks redden a little. I'd never asked my dates to stay the night, even after dating them for a while. I just didn't feel comfortable enough with them to ask. But it felt right to ask Heero to stay, the thought of him leaving now, ending the night... It felt so horribly wrong.

"In what sense of the word," he murmured back and once again let his lips trail over my jaw, down my throat and over my shoulder.

"None sexual, you pervert," I snickered, making him pinch my sides while smiling against my skin.

"I knew that," he chuckled before giving my neck a light bite. "I wondered if you wanted to stuff me in the guest room."

That had me stop to think. Where did I want him tonight? God knows he'd fallen asleep just about everywhere in my apartment, we've even slept next to each other when we both had passed out on the couch from exhaustion, or when he'd carried me to bed and just crawled in to rest next to me. But this was different.

"Sleep with me," I murmured eventually and closed my eyes as he tugged me closer and gave my neck another nip. The fact that he suddenly had just jumped another few steps on the usual 'dating-list' was completely forgotten.

"Okay," he replied and pulled away from my neck to give me the sexiest smile I'd ever seen. His lips were slightly kiss-swollen, his eyes were half-lidded and his hair… God, when his hair was all tousled like that, it made him look so incredible sexy. "But you keep yourself on your half of the bed."

And the sexy mood was ruined, leaving me snickering like mad in his arms, which was a good thing. If the whole thing had continued the way it had so far, we probably would have done something that we both would have regretted later.

We did sleep in the same bed though, but it was more like two kids sleeping over than two adults. We kept chuckling and hitting each other with the pillows and pushing each other out of the bed before wrestling around. It was great.

Of course, we fell asleep eventually, snuggled up in each other's arms. And when we woke up, it wasn't really awkward or anything. Heero simply kissed me good morning before wrinkling his nose. "Your breath stinks."

That earned him a punch on the shoulder from me and a stuck out tongue. "Don't like, don't take."

Breakfast was just as easy, it was like any other breakfast we've shared together. Heero knows my kitchen well so by the time I came out from the bathroom after taking a shower, coffee was being made and buttered toast was set onto the table.

I was met with another kiss, and complimented on my minty fresh breath, which earned him a kick to the leg before he pinned me to the fridge and tickled the hell out of me. Nothing new there. Well… Except the kiss.

xoxoxoxoxo

So there you have it. The story of my sudden interest in gems, how me and Heero became a couple and how something as simple as a gem can mean so much when it comes to a persons abilities and nature.

I still see the guys as different jewels, and I don't think those thought will change anytime soon.

Heero's a diamond. Strong, the hardest substance among us, made from something simple, yet created into something magnificent. In ancient time, the diamond was seen as a symbol of courage, strength and invincibility. A worthy title of the Perfect soldier, wouldn't you say? But it is also a symbol of love, which also is fitting for the man. When you have Heero Yuy's love and devotion, you truly have his whole heart.

Quatre's still a Lolite in my opinion, a fitting stone for a man like Quatre. Not only is the stone beautiful with its water-blue colour, but according to the books the Lolite stimulates the Third Eye. And we all know about that damned space-heart of Quatre's. He's also a successful businessman, his keen sense of finances helps him sort out bad deals from the goodies, but he's always got time for Trowa, making sure that their relationship is peaceful.

Trowa's Peridot. The man, as silent as he is, just oozes with warm and friendly energy. You just know you can trust the guy with anything. He's a protector and helps bring some balance into our little family and he's really helped the most of us through some tough times. For a quiet dude, he sure knows the right words to make you feel better.

And finally, good old Wufei. He's an Onyx if I ever saw one. His sense of self-control is amazing, and while his decisions can be off the chart sometimes, there's no denying that the man is smart. He's also in total peace with the higher powers in his religion, having finally found peace and alignment within himself and instead of spurting out negative energy right and centre with his foul mood, he's working on deflecting it instead. It's kinda scary.

Me… Well, I still see myself as a plain old grey stone, but Heero insists that I'm as much as a diamond as he is, just a little rough around the edges. I'm his diamond in the rough, untarnished and unprocessed, natural in every sense of the word, shaped only by time and environments. Strong spirited, yet simple.

But the rest of the guys disagree a little with Heero's choice of stone for me. Quatre thinks I'm a Smoky Quartz, that I gently dissolve negative energies and emotional blockages. While there's no secret that I wear my heart on my sleeve, I had no idea that being open with my own feelings, I helped others do the same. He also says that I promote a personal pride and joy in living, and I can't deny that. I'm just enjoying everything while I can.

As far as I know, they're still disagreeing on what I am, but at night, when Heero's arms are securely around me, I think about the words he's used on describing me. His diamond in the rough…

And somehow… I find myself unable to disagree to it.

But that's okay.

xoxoxoxoxoxox

_Authors Notes: Well… Not my best piece of work, but it'll do. It was an attempt to get out of the slump I've been in as well as slowly started writing again after a long time of just working with school-papers and the likes. It was… Refreshing to say the least._

_So… What do you people think of it? Acceptable? Corny as hell or just plain sucky? Lemme know, I live for feedback._


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